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'''Arsenic contamination of groundwater''' is a natural occurring high concentration of [[arsenic]] in deeper levels of groundwater. It is a high-profile problem due to the use of deep tubewells for water supply in the Ganges Delta, causing serious [[arsenic poisoning]] to large numbers of people. A 2007 study found that over 137 million people in more than 70 countries are probably affected by arsenic poisoning of drinking water. Arsenic contamination of ground water is found in many countries throughout the world, including the USA.<ref>{{cite journal| title = A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters | author = Smedley PL, Kinniburgh DG| journal = [[Applied Geochemistry]]| year = 2002| volume = 17| issue = 5| pages = 517–568| doi = 10.1016/S0883-2927(02)00018-5 }}</ref> Approximately 20 incidents of groundwater arsenic contamination have been reported from all over the world.<ref>{{cite journal| title = Arsenic contamination in groundwater: A global perspective with emphasis on the Asian scenario | author = Mukherjee A., Sengupta M. K., Hossain M. A.| journal = [[Journal of Health Population and Nutrition]]| year = 2006| volume = 24| issue = 2| pages = 142–163| url = http://202.136.7.26/images/jhpn242_Arsenic-contamination.pdf}}</ref> Of these, four major incidents were in Asia, including locations in [[Thailand]], [[Taiwan]], and [[People's Republic of China|Mainland China]].<ref name=chowdhury>{{cite journal| title = Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India| author = Chowdhury U. K., Biswas B. K., Chowdhury T. R.| journal = [[Environmental Health Perspectives]]| year = 2000| volume = 108| issue = 4| pages = 393–397| url = http://www.ehponline.org/members/2000/108p393-397chowdhury/chowdhury-full.html| doi = 10.2307/3454378| jstor = 3454378| publisher = Brogan &}}</ref>In South America, [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]] are affected. There are also many locations in the [[United States]] where the groundwater contains arsenic concentrations in excess of the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] standard of 10 parts per billion adopted in 2001. According to a recent film funded by the US [[Superfund]], {{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi5DfRy01vE |title=In Small Doses |format= |work= |accessdate=}}, millions of private wells have unknown arsenic levels, and in some areas of the US, over 20% of wells may contain levels that are not safe.
==Health effects of arsenic==
Consuming water contaminated by arsenic can cause [[skin cancer|skin]], and [[bladder cancer|bladder]] as well as [[cardiovascular disease]].{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}
Some research concludes that even at the lower concentrations, arsenic contamination is a major causes of death. A study conducted in a contiguous six-county area of southeastern Michigan investigated the relationship between moderate arsenic levels and 23 selected disease outcomes. Disease outcomes included several types of cancer, diseases of the circulatory and respiratory system, diabetes mellitus, and kidney and liver diseases. Elevated mortality rates were observed for all diseases of the circulatory system. The researchers acknowledged a need to replicate their findings.<ref>, Jaymie R. Meliker, [http://www.ehjournal.net/content/6/1/4 ''Arsenic in drinking water and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and kidney disease in Michigan: a standardized mortality ratio analysis''] Environmental Health Magazine. Volume 2:4. 2007. Accessed 9 Sept. 2008.</ref>
Arsenic contamination of the groundwater in Bangladesh is a serious problem. Prior to the 1970s, Bangladesh had one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Ineffective water purification and sewage systems as well as periodic monsoons and flooding exacerbated these problems. As a solution, UNICEF and the World Bank advocated the use of wells to tap into deeper groundwater. Millions of wells were constructed as a result. Because of this action, infant mortality and diarrheal illness were reduced by fifty percent. However, with over 8 million wells constructed, approximately one in five of these wells is now contaminated with arsenic above the government's drinking water standard.
In the [[Ganges Delta]], the affected wells are typically more than 20 m and less than 100 m deep. Groundwater closer to the surface typically has spent a shorter time in the ground, therefore likely absorbing a lower concentration of arsenic; water deeper than 100 m is exposed to much older sediments which have already been depleted of arsenic.<ref>{{cite journal
| title = Chemistry of arsenic in groundwater of Ganges-Brahmaputra river basin
| author = Singh A. K.
}}</ref> The study conducted in Bangladesh involved the analysis of thousands of water samples as well as hair, nail, and urine samples. They found 900 villages with arsenic above the government limit.
Criticism has been leveled at the [[Aid agency|aid agencies]], who denied the problem during the 1990s while millions of [[tube well]]s wells were sunk. The aid agencies later hired foreign experts who recommended treatment plants that were inappropriate to the conditions, were regularly breaking down, or were not removing the arsenic.<ref>[[New Scientist]], [http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025450.600.html Interview: Drinking at the west's toxic well] 31 May 2006.</ref>
In West Bengal, India, water is mostly supplied from rivers. Groundwater comes from deep tubewells, which are few in number. Because of the low quantity of deep tubewells, the risk of arsenic patients in West Bengal is comparatively less.<ref name=timesofindia>[[The Times of India]], [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/864169.cms 'Use surface water. Stop digging'], interview, 26 Sep, 2004.</ref> According to the World Health Organisation, “In Bangladesh, West Bengal (India), and some other areas most drinking-water used to be collected from open dug wells and ponds with little or no arsenic, but with contaminated water transmitting diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis. Programmes to provide ‘safe’ drinking-water over the past 30 years have helped to control these diseases, but in some areas they have had the unexpected side-effect of exposing the population to another health problem—arsenic.”<ref name=who>[[World Health Organization]], [http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs210/en/index.html Arsenic in Drinking Water], accessed 5 Feb 2007.</ref>
One solution is “By using surface water and instituting effective withdrawal regulation. West Bengal and Bangladesh are flooded with surface water. We should first regulate proper watershed management. Treat and use available surface water, rain-water, and others. The way we're doing [it] at present is not advisable."<ref name=timesofindia/>
==Water purification solutions==
A review of methods to remove arsenic from groundwater in Pakistan summarizes the most technically viable inexpensive methods.<ref>Fatima Hashmi and Joshua M. Pearce, “Viability of Small-Scale Arsenic-Contaminated Water Purification Technologies for Sustainable Development in Pakistan”, Sustainable Development, 19(4), pp. 223-234, 2011. [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122394419/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 pdf] [http://hdl.handle.net/1974/6828 Open access full text]</ref>
A simpler and less expensive form of arsenic removal is known as the [[Sono arsenic filter]], using three pitchers containing cast iron turnings and sand in the first pitcher and wood activated carbon and sand in the second.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://www.unu.edu/env/Arsenic/Munir.pdf Evaluation of Performance of Sono 3-Kolshi Filter for Arsenic Removal from Groundwater Using Zero Valent Iron Through Laboratory and Field Studies]|272 [[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 279183 bytes -->}}</ref> Plastic buckets can also be used as filter containers.<ref>{{PDFlink|[http://phys4.harvard.edu/~wilson/arsenic/remediation/SONO/As%20filtration%20pictures.pdf SONO ARSENIC FILTER FROM BANGLADESH - 1]|102 KiB<!-- application/pdf, 105080 bytes -->}} - pictures with descriptions.</ref> It is claimed that thousands of these systems are in use and can last for years while avoiding the toxic waste disposal problem inherent to conventional arsenic removal plants. Although novel, this filter has not been certified by any sanitary standards such as NSF, ANSI, WQA and does not avoid toxic waste disposal similar to any other iron removal process.
In the United States small "under the sink" units have been used to remove arsenic from drinking water. This option is called "point of use" treatment. The most common types of domestic treatment use the technologies of adsorption (using media such as Bayoxide E33, GFH, or titanium dioxide) or [[reverse osmosis]]. [[Ion exchange]] and [[activated alumina]] have been considered but not commonly used.
===Large-scale water treatment===
Some large utilities with multiple water supply wells could shut down those wells with high arsenic concentrations, and produce only from wells or surface water sources that meet the arsenic standard. Other utilities, however, especially small utilities with only a few wells, may have no available water supply that meets the arsenic standard.
'''Coagulation/filtration''' (also known as [[flocculation#Water_treatment|flocculation]]) removes arsenic by [[coprecipitation]] and adsorption using iron coagulants. Coagulation/filtration using [[alum]] is already used by some utilities to remove suspended solids and may be adjusted to remove arsenic. But the problem of this type of filtration system is that it gets clogged very easily, mostly within two to three months. The toxic arsenic sludge are disposed of by concrete stabilization, but there is no guarantee that they won't leach out in future.
'''[[Iron oxide adsorption]]''' filters the water through a granular medium containing ferric oxide. Ferric oxide has a high affinity for adsorbing dissolved metals such as arsenic. The iron oxide medium eventually becomes saturated, and must be replaced. The sludge disposal is a problem here too.
'''[[Activated alumina]]''' is an adsorbent that effectively removes arsenic. Activated alumina columns connected to shallow tube wells in India and Bangladesh have successfully removed both As(III) and As(V) from groundwater for decades. Long-term column performance has been possible through the efforts of community-elected water committees that collect a local water tax for funding operations and maintenance.<ref>{{cite journal|last=SARKAR|first=S|coauthors=GUPTA, A, BISWAS, R, DEB, A, GREENLEAF, J, SENGUPTA, A|title=Well-head arsenic removal units in remote villages of Indian subcontinent: Field results and performance evaluation|journal=Water Research|date=1 May 2005|volume=39|issue=10|pages=2196–2206|doi=10.1016/j.watres.2005.04.002}}</ref> It has also been used to remove undesirably high concentrations of [[fluoride]].
'''[[Ion Exchange]]''' has long been used as a water-softening process, although usually on a single-home basis. Traditional anion exchange is effective in removing As(V), but not As (III), or [[arsenic trioxide]], which doesn't have a net charge. Effective long-term ion exchange removal of arsenic requires a trained operator to maintain the column.
Both '''[[Reverse osmosis]]''' and '''[[electrodialysis]]''' (also called ''electrodialysis reversal'') can remove arsenic with a net ionic charge. (Note that arsenic oxide, As<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>, is a common form of arsenic in groundwater that is soluble, but has no net charge.) Some utilities presently use one of these methods to reduce [[total dissolved solids]] and therefore improve taste. A problem with both methods is the production of high-salinity waste water, called [[brine]], or concentrate, which then must be disposed of.
'''Subterranean Arsenic Removal (SAR) Technology''' [http://www.insituarsenic.org SAR Technology]
==Dietary intake==
Researchers from Bangladesh and the [[United Kingdom]] have recently claimed that dietary intake of arsenic adds a significant amount to total intake where contaminated water is used for irrigation.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2975&language=1 | author = Mustak Hossain | title = Toxic rice harvested in southwestern Bangladesh | publisher = SciDev.Net | date = 2006-07-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = Increase in Rice Grain Arsenic for Regions of Bangladesh Irrigating Paddies with Elevated Arsenic in Groundwaters | journal = [[Environ. Sci. Technol]] | volume = 40 | issue = 16 | pages = 4903–4908 |doi = 10.1021/es060222i | year = 2006 | author = Williams, P.N. | last2 = Islam | first2 = M. R. | last3 = Adomako | first3 = E. E. | last4 = Raab | first4 = A. | last5 = Hossain | first5 = S. A. | last6 = Zhu | first6 = Y. G. | last7 = Feldmann | first7 = J. | last8 = Meharg | first8 = A. A.}}</ref><ref>*{{ cite journal
| title = Screening of Rice Cultivars for Grain Arsenic Concentration and Speciation
| journal = American Society of Agronomy Proceeding
}}</ref>
==External links==
*[http://www.acdis.uiuc.edu/Research/OPs/Moinuddin/MoinuddinOP.pdf ''Drinking Death in Groundwater: Arsenic Contamination as a Threat to Water Security for Bangladesh''], ACDIS Occasional Paper by Mustafa Moinuddin
*[http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2010/Title,51258,en.html St Andrews Prize for Environment 2010]
*[http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_contamination_of_groundwaterArsenic contamination of groundwater] wikipedia Wikipedia, March 2012